The Senators received an emotional boost with the return of top center Jason Spezza, who was playing his first game following a four-month layoff after back surgery.

Kennedy's goal with 1:07 left in the second period broke a scoreless tie and put the Penguins in control entering the final 20 minutes. It was set up by Matt Cooke, who nearly ended the season of Erik Karlsson back on Feb. 13 when he sliced the defenseman's Achilles tendon with the blade of his skate.

Cooke also scored two goals in the series-clinching game when the Penguins bumped the Senators from the 2010 playoffs.

Some heroics from Anderson kept the Senators in Sunday's affair before Kennedy's goal. Anderson, who was pulled from Game 2 in the second period, stopped Sidney Crosby in the first minute of the middle frame, and went on make some big saves during a 59-second, two-man advantage for the Penguins.

Backed by their most rambunctious crowd of the season, the Senators came out flying but were matched step for step by the Penguins.

At the buzzer to end the scoreless first period, Pittsburgh was ahead 12-8 on the shot clock.

NOTES: Crosby entered the game tied for the league lead with six postseason goals, but he had a faceoff winning rate of just 46.4 percent. Asked if the football style facemask he wears to protect his mending broken jaw bothers him on draws, Crosby deadpanned, "No. That's me." ... The return of Spezza to the Ottawa lineup meant F Guillaume Latendresse was once again relegated to a seat in the press box. A pending unrestricted free agent, Latendresse has been a healthy scratch for five of the past six games. ... Senators D Eric Gryba remained out of the lineup recovering from the upper-body injury he suffered in a Game 1 hit by Penguins D Brooks Orpik. Andre Benoit took his spot for the second game in a row. ... The Penguins replaced D Deryk Engelland with Mark Eaton and F Joe Vitale with Tanner Glass ... The 15:37 of ice time Karlsson played in Game 2 was his lowest total ever for a playoff contest and the sixth lowest of the 2011-12 Norris Trophy winner's career.